Ontario taxpayers have a right to see severance awarded to Ian Troop, former CEO of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

Ontario taxpayers deserve to see former Pam Am Games CEO Ian Troop’s severance package sooner rather than later.

Published on Fri Dec 27 2013

Contrary to claims from Pan Am Games officials, taxpayers should have a chance to see former CEO Ian Troop’s severance package sooner rather than later. That would mark a welcome step toward openness on public sector compensation.

According to a source cited by the Star’s Richard Brennan, Liberals on the legislature’s standing committee on general government will demand to see severance and compensation information pertaining to Troop. Good. That committee meets in February and has the power to compel the release of this information.

Officials with Toronto’s 2015 Pan American Games project have insisted that details regarding this severance are “a personal issue between Mr. Troop and TO2015.” They maintain that the final package will eventually become public, but not until release of the annual “sunshine list” showing all civil service salaries in excess of $100,000. This comes out in spring, but Ontarians might not see information on Troop’s departure until the list in 2015.

That’s too long to wait.

Before Troop was fired in mid-December he had attracted criticism for expenses incurred while helming Toronto’s $2.5-billion Games project. In addition to having those expenses covered, he made $390,000 a year and was eligible for a 200 per cent bonus if the Games were delivered on time and under budget.

There are huge amounts of money involved here — far beyond what the average Ontarian will ever earn. But ordinary taxpayers are the people who cover these bills. And they are entitled to see how their money is spent, especially when a substantial share is going straight into executives’ pockets.

That’s why it is important to see what’s being awarded to Troop. It’s particularly relevant in light of a report earlier this month from Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk that lifted the veil on excessive salaries, perks and pensions at Ontario Power Generation.

The public has become sensitive to this issue and wants to know what it is paying for. People have a right to know and they shouldn’t have to wait months, and perhaps over a year, for answers.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.